Engine



A. J. MEYER lENGINE Dec. l, 1936.

Filed June ll, 1929 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. y 1,.y E936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFEicE- ENGINE Andre J. Meyer, Detroit, Mich., assignor'to Continental Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich.; a corporation of Virginia Application June 11, 1929, Serial No. 370,085 10 Claims. (Cl. 74574) 'This invention relates to engines and, refers the flywheel portions I4, I5 apart. An outer more particularly to vibration dampers for crankabutment I8 limits axial movement of ywheel shafts of engines particularly of the internal I4 and a second abutment I9 limits axial movecombustion type. My invention provides imment of flywheel I5. 'I'he abutments I8, I9 are 5 provements over the well known Lanchester preferably xed to rotate with crankshaft A and damper and like the Lanchester damper is adaptin the illustration engage key Il. Between the ed for cooperation with the usual flywheel at the ywheel portions and abutments is located fricrear of the crankshaft. My damper in the emtion material 2n, 2|, and additional friction mabodiment illustrated is adapted to be located at terial 22, 23 may be located between springs I1 the crankshaft front end and is designed to damp and the ywheels. The friction material 22, 23 l0 the torsional vibrations of the crankshaft, these may be doweled by pins 24 with hub I0 an; supvibrations being objectionl especially in multiplements the material and 2I in increasing the l cylinder internal combustion engines such as are eiciency of the damping action.

commonly used for propelling motor vehicles. In operation the hub I0 rotates in xed relal5 Heretofore in dampers of the aforesaid type, tion to the crankshaft A while flywheel B is ro- 15 the auxiliary damper ywheel is yieldingly contated therewith by reason of the friction manected to the crankshaft, a spring regulating and terial 20, 2| and 22, 23. When the crankshaft determining the amount of friction resistance to is free from the angular vibrations, either. posiyielding in the damping operation. I have ,detive or negative, the ywheel B rotates as a unit 20 termined that this device is unsatisfactory as with the hub I Il. However when the crankshaft 20 ordinarily constructed in that the damper does tends to quickly change its angular velocityras in not function properly for the range of speeds ortorsional vibrations, the inertia of the flywheel dinarily experienced in engines of the character tends to oppose such changes and the vibrations referred to. The spring or springs heretofore are thus damped out or dissipated.

gr, used if set properly for damping low speed high In considering the action of my damper it will frequency crankshaft vibrations will be too stiff be noted that the product of its mass moment of for properly damping high speed low frequency inertia I and the angular acceleration e" will invibrations. As a result the usual dampers are crease as the angular acceleration increases and ineicient and unsatisfactory. there will be some value of 9" where this product One object of my invention resides in the prowill equal the friction moment M of the damper, :1.) vision of a damper which will properly damp this friction moment being a constant determined the vibrations over the whole range of speeds. by the tension of the springs I1 and effectiveness A further object resides in the provision of an of the friction material 20, 2I,- 22, and 23. For improved damper of simple construction capable such a value of e" M=I9".

of manufacture at low cost. I From this it will be noted that for a higher value Further features and advantages of my invenof 9" a lower value of I will overcome the friction tion will be apparent from the following descripmoment M. Of course if a high value of I is availtion of the details of construction illustrated in able then the friction moment M will also be overthe accompanying drawing in which, come. Therefore at low speed where G" is high Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation view through my both iiywheels I 4, I5 will slip together. At high 40 improved damper, speed where 6 is much smaller the flywheel par- Fi'g. 2 is a similar view of a modified construction I4 of relatively small mass remains stationary tion along the line 2-2 of Fig. 3, and relative to the crankshaft and the flywheel por- Fig. 3 is a view of the modified construction tion I5 of relatively great mass will slip alone. along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Heretofore with the single flywheel construc- 45 Reference character A represents the cranktion the proportion of inertia to friction moment shaft front end and B my damper mounted is determined experimentally at high speed. A thereon. 'I'he damper comprises a hub I0 keyed damper so made will be active at all speeds. Howat II to the crankshaft and provided with shoulever, the friction torque is insufficient to take care dered annular bearings I2, I3. Rotatably of the high energy of the high frequency vibra- 50 mounted on shoulders I2, I3 are the ywheels or tions at low speeds. My invention supplies addiflywheel portions I4, I5 of different mass or lntional friction moment when high frequency ertia, the purpose of which will be presently apvibrations occur, and with my damper the whole parent. The hub I0 has an annular series of speed range is adequately provided for.

pockets I6 containing springs I'I serving to urge 'I'he same desirable results may also be obtained 55 relatively rotatable following the teachings of my invention in other ways. For example in Figs. 2 and 3 I have shown a modified arrangement of parts in which hub III' is driven as before from the crankshaft and flywheel B' as before is comprised of portions Il' and AII' of different mass. In this modication springs i1 act radially against shoes 25 and friction material 20', the flywheel portions being loosely centered by shoulders 26, 21 and end plates 28, 2l assisted somewhat by hub portions 30. The operation of the flywheel portions is the same as previously described in connection with the embodiment illustrated in Fig. l.

While I have illustratedmy invention as having a pair of ywheel members itis apparent that more than two of such members may be employed if desired within the scope of my invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A device of the character described comprising in'combination with an engine crankshaft, a driving hub xed to one end of the crankshaft, driven ywheel members coaxial with the hub and with respect to each other about the hub, and means yieldingly connecting the flywheel members with the hub, said yielding connecting means including a spring urging said ywheel members axially of the crankshaft.

2. A device of the character described comprising in combination with an engine crankshaft, a

driving hub fixed with the crankshaft, driven `flywheel memberscoaxlal with the hub and relatively rotatable with respect to each other about the hub, and means yieldingly connecting the iiywheel members with the hub, said yielding connecting means including a spring tending to separate said flywheel members to provide a yielding driving connection between the flywheel members and crankshaft.

3. A vibration damper cnnilrising in combination, a crankshaft, a hub on e crankshaft, solid flywheel portions spaced axially with respect to each other, said hub having a angeproiecting intermediate said spaced flywheel portions, mats of friction material interposed between said flange and said ywheel portions, a spring carried by said hub flange and constructed for exerting a force in a direction parallel to the crankshaft axis acting in conjunction with said mats to yieldingly engage said flywheel portions with said driving hub, said flywheel portions adapted for relative angular movement during damping action.

4. In a vibration damper for engine shafts, a hub adapted to be secured tothe engine shaft, abutment means associated with and supported against relative angular and axial movement with respect to said hub,` a plurality of solid inertia members of different masses supported for relative rotatable movement vices for drivingly connecting said inertia members with the abutment means, and spring means for yieldingly engaging said inertia members with said friction devices.

5. In a vibration damper for engine shafts, a hub adapted to be secured to the engine shaft,

` a plurality of about said hub, friction deabutment means associated with and supported against relative angular and axial movement with.

respect to said hub, a plurality of solid inertia members of different supported for relative rotatable movement about said hub, friction devices for drivinsly connecting said inertia members with the abutment means, and common spring means for yieldingly engaging both said inertia members with said friction devices.

6. In a vibration damper for engine shafts,-a hub adapted to besecured to the engineshaft, abutment means associated with and supported against relative angular and axial movement with respect to said hub, a plurality of solid inertia members of different masses supported for relative rotatable movement about said hub, friction devices for drivingly connecting said inertia members with the abutment means, and a plurality of spring devices acting to yieldingly pack said inertia members, friction devices and said abutment means.

7. In aV vibration damper for engine shafts, a hub adapted to be secured to theengine shaft, a plurality of solid inertia members constructed of diiferent masses supported for relative rotatable movement about said hub, friction means for resisting rotation of the inertia members with respect to said hub, and spring means for yieldingly engaging said inertia members with said friction means.

8. In a vibration damper for engine shafts, a hub adapted to be secured to the engine shaft, a plurality of solid inertia members constructed of different masses supported for relative rotat able movement about said hub, friction means for resisidng rotation of the inertia members with respect to said hub, and a plurality of spring means angularly spaced about the hub for yieldingly engaging said inertia members with said friction means.

9. In a vibration damper for engine shafts, a hub adapted to be secured to the engine shaft, solid inertia members constructed of different masses supported for relative rotatable movement about said hub, friction means for resisting rotation of the inertia members with respect to said hub, and spring means for yieldingly engaging said inertia members with said friction means, said spring means exerting a force tending to -move said inertia members axially of the hub into engagement with said friction means. 10. In a vibration damper for engine shafts subjected to torsional vibrations of different frequencies, driving means fixed to said shaft, a plurality of damping devices including inertia members of different masses for damping torsional vibrations of diiferent frequencies, separate friction means intermediate each of said inertia members and said driving means, and spring means yieldingly urging said inertia members into frictional contact with said friction means.

ANDRE J. MEYER. 

